Are my dogs playing or fighting?

Loud, continuous growling and snarling; again, exaggerated. Play-growling may sound scarier than serious fighting. The dogs voluntarily make themselves vulnerable by “falling” down and exposing their bellies and allowing themselves to be caught when playing chase. They take turns chasing each other. read more

Common dog-park scenario number 1: people watch while two dogs play. Suddenly, the dogs are snapping and snarling at each other. The dispute ends quickly and nobody gets hurt, but the humans are shaken. None of them saw that canine argument coming. Common dog-park scenario number 2: two dogs bounce and wrestle. read more

Telling apart two dogs that are playing from two dogs that are fighting may be quite challenging especially for novice dog owners. Perhaps, the main issue derives from the fact that dog play often focuses on mimicking postures and vocalizations often used in dog fights. read more

Owners of single dogs or people who don't own dogs are often worried when they see dogs play fighting because there is a lot of noise and a lot of visible teeth. It is helpful to know when your dog is playing nicely and when your dog is being either a bit over the top with another dog or being roughhoused and would rather the game stopped. read more